Tuesday, November 1, 2011

XIT Ranch Oldham County Texas

On November 2, 1912 the XIT Ranch sold its last head of cattle. The XIT operated in the Texas Panhandle from 1885 to 1912. Covering over 3,000,000 acres, it ran for two hundred miles along the New Mexico border, varying in width from 20 to 30 miles. The ranch included all or portions of Bailey, Castro, Cochran, Dallam, Deaf Smith, Hartley, Hockley, Lamb, Oldham and Parmer counties.

In 1879, the 16th Texas Legislature appropriated 3,000,000 acres of land to finance a new state capitol. In 1882 in a special legislative session, the 17th Legislature struck a bargain with Charles B. and John V. Farwell of Chicago, Illinois, under which a syndicate led by the Farwells, with mostly British investors, agreed to build a new $3,000,000.00 Texas State Capitol and accept the 3,000,000 acres of Panhandle land in payment.

Description: Oldham County ranch land in the Canadian Valley between Vega and Dalhart, Texas (2002)

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